Amon Tobin: Supermodified

Clubland heroes come and go, but few DJs have sustained long careers in the spotlight: Even a sound as edgy as drum-and-bass is beholden to trends, and many DJs seem to disappear as soon as tastes begin to evolve. Brazil's Amon Tobin, on the other hand, has weathered the various changes in musical climate by simply staying himself. Since releasing his aptly named debut Bricolage, no drum-and-bass act has quite matched Tobin in terms of sheer ingenuity, leaving him free to perfect his craft without fear of competition infringing on his territory. In Tobin's case, it really is a craft, too. His compositions assemble dense collages of jazzy drum fills with subtly interwoven electronics, as if the classic drum battles of Gene Krupa and Buddy Rich had been disassembled beat by beat and then recombined by the transporters in The Fly: The final product isn't entirely unfamiliar, but the translation is apparent. Tobin's third album, Supermodified, doesn't really deviate from its two predecessors, but why rock the boat Tobin's skill at stringing together fills and breakbeats is staggering, a cut-up feat of great care. But, most importantly, Tobin's tracks actually swing, making his work far more fun than the mostly dance-floor-functional beat wrangling of his peers.